However, Sinn Féin Member of the European Parliament, Matt Carthy, said there has been “zero public debate” on the issue.

“Among the most ludicrous argument proponents asserted was that we needed to sell off Irish neutrality in order to show support for the EU and its values,” Carthy said.

“Since when did increasing national defense budgets, creating new military capabilities, fuelling the arms industry and compromising respect for human rights and democracy become core values of the European Union?”

Continued Carthy: “PESCO, the new €5.5 billion European Defense Fund and The Action Plan on Military Mobility are just three initiatives of the past six months which show that there is a very strong push going on to establish a military union.

“It is no coincidence that this push is taking part concurrently, but entirely separately, to discussions on the future of Europe.”

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European Commisson Chief Jean-Claude Juncker is very positive about the EU defense pact. Image: RollingNews.ie.